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Published: July 12th 2014
Listen very carefully, I will say this only once...
Saturday, 5 July, 2012 - en route to Bordeaux. I will warn you right now that the next week was filled with unpleasantries regarding travel and accommodation, and if you are squeamish at all about whines and rants, perhaps now is the time to turn away on this blog…
After our experience of getting to our first hotel on arrival in Paris, we decided to take the Metro to the station. Getting the suitcases on the train was a bit of a struggle but we thought all would be good in Bordeaux. Not to worry…I then looked at my car rental agreement which said (as I had told them) that I would be picking my car up at 5:15 PM, and the office closed at 6. I then verified my train ticket and realized we were actually arriving at 7:15. Damn those 24 hour clocks.. To make a LONG story short, there was no one in the office, no car, and no record of the prepayment so I could not schedule an early pickup for Sunday. We had a 2 ½ hour drive that day so things were starting to get a little testy for me. I figured we would go to the hotel and ask the front office clerk to call. We took a cab to the hotel, not that far away, and were charged 29 Euros which is the upper limit for the charge. We rocketed up to the desk with the confirmation for 5 nites, to be told we only had a reservation for one. I started raising my voice and then all of a sudden she “found” the reservation and confirmed our room with twin beds. She also called the rental company. I kept hearing a lot of “d’accord” and knew this wasn’t going well. She said I had no recourse but to be at the rental place when they opened at 10 AM.
We went to our room, difficult to find since it was the only one on the conference room floor, and it was the handicapped room. The biggest problem was the short mirrors. Oh,and the sink tap that you couldn’t turn on manually, and then it switched off at importune times. And there were a couple other issues…I couldn’t believe that this was all that was available for a reservation made three months ago and went to the office to complain. Nothing could be done until the AM, of course.
The next morning we got up and were told the hotel was full and we couldn’t be moved. Then we went to the train station to pick up the car. We were first in line and when the door opened, I told my tale and we were out of there in 5 minutes. Expect the worst and that way you’re always pleasantly surprised I say…but it wasn’t over.
We went to return the car the next day and was told that there would be a charge for extra mileage. I would never rent a car without unlimited mileage but I had turned in the contract at check-in. I was tired and didn’t want to argue - I would take it up with the credit card company. I paid and left. When I got back to our handicap room, which was starting to get on my nerves, I found the contract on my computer and figured it could be dealt with Thursday when we left.
Fast forward to Thursday, another action-packed day. We went to check out and pay for our breakfasts and was told we owed another day on the room, since I hadn’t paid for the first night. I just looked at her and said, “Really?”, and continued to look her in the eye while explaining our dissatisfaction with an accommodation booked three months ago…she backed off and waived payment, but I see a posting to TripAdvisor in their future. We got to the station, after paying HALF of what we paid to leave there the first day, and I went to deal with the rental car people. I was told that because I didn’t have a printed copy of the contract that I had nothing to go on. I made them find the copy I had turned in, then, seeing I was correct, the woman called the manager. It was an issue between the contracting agent and me, as they had informed the rental people that i had to pay extra mileage. I got a copy of the reservation that was sent to the rental people, and will deal with it when I get home.
As for the train, we have sufficiently jarred our backs going up and down stairs with 20 kg bags, and then trying to lift them onto and off of trains. We see no solution. There are no elevators or escalators between tracks. It was also an hour late. Back in Paris, the taxi driver took us the most direct route and so it wasn’t too bad. It’s nice to be back in Paris…and I will go back and tell all about all our wonderful sightseeing in Bordeaux, but I had to get rid of my rant.
For the record, stay away from Citotel hotels and EzyCar if making reservations…
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kathy
non-member comment
Sorry...
to hear about all your troubles, nothing is ever what it should be, but we just carry on carrying on. When are you off for home? We have a week of cycling starting tomorrow. We'll take it now and slow, supposed to get better weather, beautiful today. We're both over the rain!